🔗 Share this article The former Brazilian president taken into custody after being deemed a flight risk Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention. The one-time leader was sentenced of planning a military coup in September and handed more than 27 years in incarceration, but he was staying under confinement pending court reviews. High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a precautionary step after recent developments emerged. This encompassed trying to remove his tracking device and a call for a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a possible escape. Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks In a document approving the arrest, the judge said information from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the tracking monitor to ensure success in his escape. This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his son. His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night. His son wrote on social media on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or see it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I call on you to battle with us." He said the demonstration would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation." Embassy Asylum Concerns Part of the judge's ruling was the chance of the former president's move to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a embassy office", a declaration said. The court filing underscores that the US embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence. Global Responses The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative American leader President Trump, leading him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods. The former president is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on Sunday. Latest Court Petitions It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with tracking devices. They also requested that he be authorized to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he needed ongoing care for lung conditions and other illnesses. Context of Sentencing The former president was convicted of leading a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his political opponent, President Lula. High Court judges said that he was aware of a scheme which included plans to assassinate his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial. The scheme was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the military leaders. His successor was took office without incident on January 1st, 2023. But a seven days after, on 8 January, many his followers attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, Brazil's capital. The law enforcement intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested. The justices found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, reestablish control and reinstate his authority. At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh. He was also barred from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment. The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 presidential election.